Suspension baseball backstop



Sept. 1950 M. G. J. HOFFMANN SUSPENSION BASEBALL BACKSTOP 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1948 ep 0 v M. a. J. HOFFMANN 2,521,518

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Application February 2'7, 1948, Serial No. 11,497

4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a baseball backstop and has for its principal object the provision of an improved structure capable of effectively protecting spectators behind the home plate from injury, yet so designed as to cause no inter ference with the customary procedure of the game and the technical aspects thereof.

In this connection it may be pointed out that the ordinary batting cages or backstops heretofore devised have been so constructed that they surround the batters box in a manner which is not only somewhat inadequate to prevent injury to spectators, but is additionally undesirable from the standpoint of the players, since it interferes with their normal movements and may even cause injury in the event that a player collides with the cage.

The structure of the present disclosure deviates from prior practice in that, instead of providing a simple cage behind the home plate, it provides, in combination, a backstop fence spaced well behind the plate and having side wings entirely clear of the batters boxes and plate on either side, together with a canopy comprising a horizontal screen above and behind the plate to stop foul tips flying upwardly or backwardly, with a downwardly extending skirt on the back and side edges of the screen to prevent any possibility of a ball passing under the suspended screen and over the back wall. The canopy is entirely suspended from a superstructure extending between the wings of the'back wall, so that while it is effective to intercept balls flying rearwardly, yet it does not interfere with the normal movements of the players during batting, catching or cross ing the plate.

A present preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings attached to and forming a part of this disclosure, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a suspension backstop device constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The device includes, in combination, an exterior wall including a back fence and outwardly flared wings extending upwardly from the ground to a height well above the heads of the players, and a canopy comprising an inverted mesh cage, having a flat top screen with a downwardly depending skirt along its back and side walls. The lower edges of the skirt terminate somewhat below the level of the backstop fence, but well above the heads of the players, so that although this inverted canopy is in position to intercept any foul tips flying upwardly or rearwardly from the bat, yet it does not interfere with the normal movements of the players during the game.

The exterior wall includes a back fence portion l0, carried on three verticalposts ll, I2 and 13,

located somewhat behind the home plate [4 andin a line perpendicular to a line between the pitchers box and the plate. The fence includes a pair of wing portions I5 and 16, which are pref erably disposed at an acute angle to each other, so that the wing l5 extends outwardly from the post H to the posts I! and [8, while the wing it flares at an equal angle from the post l3 to posts i9 and 2 I. The fence may be of any suitable wire mesh and is ordinarily provided with attaching devices 22 to secure it to the severalposts,andwith reenforcing bars 23 at its center and upper edges to maintain it in properly tensioned condition.

The fence posts 11, I8, 19 and 2! extend up- Wardly-considerably above the top of the back fence to support a superstructure on which the inverted canopy is suspended. The superstructure includes a forward truss 24 secured between the posts l8 and 2 I, and a similar rear truss 25 ex tending between the upper ends of the posts I! and I9 and while these trusses may beof any suitable form, they are preferably of latticed I beams so as to afford the necessary strength and rigidity without undue weight. The trusses 24 and 25 support the suspended canopy, generally indicated at 30; which comprises a flat top frame of horizontal members 26, 27 and 28, joined at the front by cross member 29 and at the rear by a cross member 3!. Wire mesh is stretched over this frame to provide a flat top screen 32, which preferably extends forwardly from the truss 24 enough to overhang the home plate I4, and extends rearwardly from the plate beyond the truss 25, but somewhat short of the back portion ID of the exterior wall fence. A pair of truss rods 33 and 34 are preferably provided to reenforce the center member 2'! and prevent sagging.

The canopy has a downwardly hanging skirt at its rear and side edges, which provides a pair of depending wings 35 and 36 on the opposite sides of the screen immediately below the pipes 26 and 28. The shape of these may be varied, but as shown they are formed with a frame comprising an angularly extending front member 31, having a horizontal portion 38, running back to a point below the rear ends of the members 26 and 28, where they are joined by a lower cross member 39-. The frame of this skirt is also covered a with wire me h to form side and back screens extending downwardly from the edges of the top screen 32 around its back and opposite sides, but it is to be noted that while all of these walls terminate at a position consderably below the top of the fences l0, l5 and 16, yet they are still well above the heads of the players and consequently do not in any manner interfere with the movement of the players during the course of the game.

It will thus be seen that although the structure here shown aifords excellent protection to spectators behind or at the sides of the batters box, yet it is, at the same time, so designed and constructed that it causes no interference with the normal movements of the players during the game, so that the technical aspects of the game are not impaired, and the possibility of injuries to the players resulting from collision with the backstop is obviated.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and wish to protect by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a baseball backstop, the combination of an exterior wall comprising a wire mesh fence having a back portion behind and spaced away from the home plate of a baseball diamond, and a pair of side wings extending from the opposite ends of the back portion forwardly and outwardly to points equally spaced behind and on each side of the plate; together with a superstructure including a pair of trusses extending behind the forward portions of the outwardly flared side wings, and a canopy suspended from the trusses; the canopy comprising a flat horizontal wire mesh screen extending substantially forwardly of the truss, overhanging the plate and extending a substantial distance realwardly and on each side thereof; with a substantially vertical skirt extending around the sides and back of the horizontal screen and depending downwardly from the outer edges of the screen to a point substantially below the upper edge of the back portion and wings of the exterior wall.

2. In a baseball backstop, the combination of anexterior wall comprising a wire mesh fence having a back portion behind and spaced away from the home plate of a baseball diamond, and a pair of side wings wholly behind and widely spaced on each side of the plate and extending from the opposite ends of the back portion forwardly and outwardl on each side of the plate;

together with a superstructure including at least one truss member extending between points remote from th plate on either side thereof, and a canopy suspended from the truss; the canopy comprising a wire mesh screen extending substantially forwardly of the truss, overhanging the plate and extending a substantial distance rearwardly and on each side thereof; with a skirt portion along at least one side of the screen extending downwardly to a point substantially below the upper edge of the back portion and wings of the exterior wall.

3. In a baseball backstop, the combination of an exterior Wall comprising a wire mesh fence having a. back portion behind and spaced away from the home plate of a baseball diamond, and a pair of side wings wholl behind and widely spaced on each side of the plate and extending from the opposite ends of the back portion forwardly and outwardly on each side of the plate; together with a superstructure including at least one truss member carried on the exterior wall and acanopy suspended from and extending substantially forwardly from the truss; the canopy comprising a wire mesh screen above and behind the plate and extending a substantial distance rearwardly and on each side thereof; with a screen skirt extending downwardly from at least one point on the screen to a point substantially below the upper edge of the exterior wall.

4. In a baseball backstop, the combination of a wire mesh fence having a back portion behind and spaced away from the home plate of a baseball diamond, and a pair of side wings wholly behind and widely spaced on each side of the plate; together with a superstructure including at least one truss member extending between the side wings, and with a canopy suspended from and extending substantially forwardly of the truss; the canopy comprising a screen above and behind the plate.

MAX G. J. HOFFMANN.

Name Date Flaugh July 6, 1926 Number 

